About “Umbrella”

Rihanna comforts her lover by telling him she will be there for him, in good times and bad. The umbrella is a metaphor for her support.

“Umbrella” stayed on top of the UK Singles Chart for 10 consecutive weeks, longer than any other single that decade. The single remained at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks.

In 2008, “Umbrella” won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It won two MTV Music Video awards in 2007, but was nominated for three. This song is number 412 on Rolling Stone’s500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

They did the song for me. And it was during the Grammy time and I was really, really busy, and I heard it, and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, that’s a smash. I love this song.’ And it was like, ‘It’s yours.’ So in the midst of it being mine, they were probably telling [Rihanna] it was hers. She’s such a beautiful lady, and I love her to death. I was so glad that she caught it and knocked it out of the park, and it’s still one of my favorite songs to date.

What has the media said about the song?

In 2018, NPR ranked this as the #24 greatest song by a female or nonbinary artist in the 21st century, saying:

Rihanna’s status as a pop icon was cemented on her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, specifically with this irrepressible single. The song examines a fairly basic tenet of romantic relationships with a nuanced vocal delivery that slowly ensnares you. Just try getting the hook, ‘ella, ella, eh, eh, eh,’ out of your head; its sinewy simplicity is inescapable. Rihanna wisely recognized how well that repetitive refrain would ‘workworkworkworkwork,’ to quote a later hit of hers. ‘Umbrella’ offers a cool confidence to which we can all aspire.

How did the song come to be?

Me, my cousin Tricky Stewart [founder of Atlanta’s music production company RedZone Entertainment] and The-Dream wrote “Umbrella.“ [Former Def Jam chairman/CEO] L.A. Reid heard it through Island Def Jam’s Karen Kwak. Rihanna just signed to the label and they knew right away that was a hit for her. A week later, we were in Los Angeles cutting this record. This was the first big artist I’ve ever worked with, and I wasn’t even technically considered a vocal producer at that point. I was like a kid in a candy store! But once I get in the studio, I’m not thinking about anytime except for making sure I get the best performance out of the artist. And once I’m done with a record, I don’t get into the science of, “Man, this artist is going to be huge!” I just stick to the emotions.”

How did Rihanna feel during the process recording the song?

Rihanna wasn’t shy at all, she was a pro while still so young and one of the best artists in the game. That’s why she is who she is, because she’s been confident since she came into the industry. She was very cool and very welcoming because she understands the value of her team – we help her make the hits. [“Umbrella”] was my very first professional record, at 40 years old – fortunately the song blew up and got us where we are now. I had no idea it was going to be this huge, so I was blown away! Tricky had been in the industry for a few years, so I think he had an inkling for hit records. But I was the new kid on the block and really excited because I could take care of my family. Age doesn’t matter, as long as you’re consistent."